Christmas Detective Fiction

'Tis the season for mince pies, mulled wine... and murder! A dead body. A locked Christmas stall with no way in or out. A cunning killer who's gone before the tea's gone cold. Christmas in Southbourne should be all twinkly lights and festive cheer, but Fiona, Daisy, and Partial Sue—the retired trio who run Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop— have little to celebrate. What with the elusive "Southbourne Stalker" prowling the streets of their sleepy seaside town, they're in need of a little seasonal magic.

Brought to you by Penguin. *NARRATED BY FIONA SHAW (Harry Potter, Killing Eve, Bad Sisters)* The unmissable new mystery in the bestselling, record-breaking Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman Who's got time to think about murder when there's a wedding to plan? It’s been a quiet year...

It's almost Christmas, and Gwinny Tuffel's thoughts are on what she'll buy for DI Birch and whether she can adopt another furry friend. But sorting through her late father's papers leads her into his mysterious past, pointing to an enigmatic liaison with someone now living in a Somerset commune. Gwinny and DI Birch find themselves unexpectedly snowed in with a group of retired spies, along with an energetic Cocker Spaniel, and embroiled in a murder case. Will they uncover the culprit and escape in time for Christmas?

THE BESTSELLING SERIES THAT INSPIRED AMAZON PRIME'S BALLARD AND BOSCH 'Michael Connelly is a powerhouse, an unstoppable force in crime fiction. The Waiting is proof he is at the top of his game." MICK HERRON, #1 bestselling author of SLOW HORSES **** IN COLD CASES, IT'S NOT THE HOPE THAT KILLS...

It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe, eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty, is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit. Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, she has begun to receive mysterious parcels of birch twigs, the Black Thurrick’s calling card.

Read with warmth and humour by Imogen Church, narrator of Bridget Jones's Diary and Jill Mansell's Maybe This Time' Join Lulu Lewis, a retired detective with a knack for uncovering secrets, and Conrad, her extraordinary talking cat, as Christmas cheer gives way to festive fear . . . Hoping for a...

Brought to you by Penguin. *DETECTIVE HOLE IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES* Harry Hole returns in a pulse-pounding thriller like no other. 'This book had my pulse in the red zone from start to finish' Michael Connelly A freezing December night. Christmas shoppers have gathered to listen to...

Brought to you by Penguin. The global number one bestselling authors team up again for a gripping political thriller, unravelling a shocking murder accusation at the White House. Clinton and Patterson are back. And they're better than ever. The President of the United States is up for...

Brought to you by Penguin. FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley – aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless – is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than...

Jane discovers holiday cheer is fleeting. One of the Yuletide gathering dies in a tragic accident whose circumstances Jane immediately views with suspicion. If the accident was in fact murder, the killer is one of Jane's fellow snowbound guests. With clues scattered amid cleverly crafted charades, dark secrets coming to light during parlor games, and old friendships returning to haunt the Christmas parties, whom can Jane trust to help her discover the truth and stop the killer from striking again?

December 1864. As a cold winter wind scours the Worcestershire countryside, an excursion train comes through a tunnel in the Malvern Hills, only to be confronted by a blockage on the line ahead. The driver manages to slow the train down so that the impact is minimised, but the passengers are alarmed. The first person to alight is Cyril Hubbleday, the man in charge of the excursion. He walks to the front of the locomotive—and, as he is talking to the driver, fireman and guard, he is shot dead by a sniper.

December 1860. Headed for the morning shift at the Swindon Locomotive Works is an army of men pouring out of terraced houses built by the GWR, a miniature town and planned community that aims to provide for its employees from cradle to grave. Unfortunately, boilersmith Frank Rodman is headed for the grave sooner than he'd expected, or he will be once his missing head is found. Colbeck, the Railway Detective, finds his investigation into Rodman's murder mired in contradictions.

Brought to you by Penguin. From the multi-award winning creator of BROADCHURCH and showrunner of DOCTOR WHO, and narrated by Golden Globe Award winning BABY REINDEER star Jessica Gunning. Get ready for the most exciting crime fiction debut of 2025... When Nicola Bridge moves back to Dorset after...

'Baldacci is the master' – Jeffery Archer In equal parts hilarious, poignant, suspenseful and thrilling, The Christmas Train is a delightful journey filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief . . . Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get...

Uncle Willie has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. It is just their luck for him to be found dead the morning after Christmas day, dressed in his Santa Claus costume, seemingly poisoned by his favourite chocolates. Or was there something sinister in the mince pies? If so, was it the ones stashed in his room or those sent to him mysteriously by post? More importantly, since his will was recently redrafted, who stands to gain by this unseasonable crime?

Brought to you by Penguin. It’s their toughest case yet. And their best detective is missing. Holmes, Margaret and Poe’s Brooklyn-based detective agency solves the crimes no one else can. Or they did – until Holmes decided to leave the business. There is no time to waste as the team are...

This winter, fear comes gift-wrapped. *FROM THE KINDLE TOP 20 BESTSELLING AUTHOR* In the dead of winter, the Pennine Way is treacherous. As snowstorms hit, hikers have been told to stay away. But not everyone has heeded the warning: a lone walker finds a parcel in the snow, addressed to her. But...

In the small town of Dewstow, 'tis the season for gold, frankincense, and murder... It’s Margery’s first year as kitchen manager for Summerview school and supported by her wife, Clementine, she is trying to stay focused. When a tragic accident claims the life of the music teacher during rehearsals for the Christmas concert planning, they are caught in the crossfire. Mrs Smith, the Head of Drama, becomes the prime suspect, and is desperate for the Dinner Lady Detectives to clear her name.

In the snowy Salzburg landscape, Miss Atalanta has another mystery to solve… ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'One of my favourite detectives…it reminded me of some of the old Sherlock Holmes cases' November 1930 After accepting an invitation to attend the ballet in snowy Salzburg, Miss Atalanta Ashford is...

World War I Battlefield nurse Bess Crawford’s career is in jeopardy when a murder is committed on her watch, in this absorbing and atmospheric historical mystery from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd. Home on leave, Bess Crawford is asked to accompany a wounded soldier confined...